Kaffee Bitte!

Or how to select the appropriate caffeine dosage in order to get your morning twitch on..in Austria

Großer Brauner (gross-er brown-er) - similar to a double espresso shot, but with a wee bit more water.  One strong mofo.

Kleiner Brauner (kline-er brown-er) - similar to a single espresso shot, but a little more water (so it seems to me).  Still strong.

Verlängerter (fair-lang-er-ter) - means literally, "extended one."  Similar to a Cafe Americano (espresso with more water)

Cappuccino (wuss drink) - I ordered one and the waiter gave me a funny look.  It seems to be a shot or two of espresso with a righteous dollop of heavy duty whipped cream swimming on the surface.

Kaffee (surprise!) - Depending on where one is, this could be any number of coffee incantations.  In a hotel or B&B, Kaffee with breakfast is generally drip coffee....or *gasp!* instant coffee.  However, in a restaurant, ordering a "Kaffee" might result in additional questions from the server as to what kind.  This could be dangerous, as it may force you into attempting a detailed discussion on coffee options in German.

How to order: "Ich hätte gern einen + Großen Braunen/Kleinen Braunen/etc."
Alternate ordering method: *point to appropriate choice on menu*

Of course, if you find yourself in the town of Spitz in the Wachau Valley, you may also have the opportunity of ordering a Spitzer Kaffee.  This is a Verlängerter + Schnaps + Eilikör (egg liqueur) + dollop of whipped cream to cover everything up.  This seems like a risky drink with which to start your morning off.

All part of a morning ritual (see gallery)

Technorati Tags: austria, live austrian wine adventure, coffee, travel, wachau

Comments

[Dr. Vino]

You don't mean Eliot Spitzer do you? ;-)

Hey - it seems like you have great internet access over there--is that the case?

And btw are you going to be doing any glass blowing at the Riedel factory?

[beau]

I think the Eliot Spitzer would be straight whisky - and maybe a little vinegar.
Alas no glass blowing, but plenty of glass sampling.

Internet access is not easy. I've had to beg/borrow at a few wineries. In larger hotels it's available - for a big $$. The Cell networks provide fantastic access - hi-speed wireless anywhere. However, you need to purchase an 18 month contract in order to enjoy this luxury. Thank the lawd for Ecto - enables one to compose blog entries offline.